"Loving," a soap opera created by Agnes Nixon & Douglas Marland in 1983, aired for 12 long years on ABC,
but never was a success on daytime. The show premiered as a TV movie on primetime, and during it's early years,
it centered around the blue-collar Donovans and the blue-blood Aldens. The stories revolved around alcoholism,
post-traumatic stress syndrome, murders, and all storylines known to the world of soap operas.

In 1995, ABC no longer wanted to keep "Loving" on it's schedule. The ratings kept falling. Yet, ABC didn't want to
just make it disappear, so they asked the head writers to write a storyline which could allow some of the character
to return in a spin-off called "The City." Relocated from the fictional town of Corinth, Pennsylvania to the trendy SoHo
neighborhood of New York, the residents all lived and worked together in a single building. This building became the
new setting for the series and housed a bar, a medical clinic, an ad agency, several residential lofts and a penthouse.

Unfortunately, none of these changes were enough to ensure the success of the series. After initial viewer curiosity wore off,
the show began to post lower ratings than its predecessor Loving. Then, in October 1996, the series star Morgan Fairchild
departed the show after her one-year contract expired. In a last ditch effort to keep the show alive, the show transplanted the
popular General Hospital character, Tracy Quartermaine to replace Fairchild as the show's lead villainess. However, ratings
did not improve and the show was canceled after less than a year and a half.

89-91, I think.

Ah, OK I guess Tudor had just returned when I got into the show.

More Minnie!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m-YJkAfDNC8

OK, I am blanking... Who's Minnie? Randomly the background music is the Stock/Aitken/Waterman produced version of Don't Make Me Over sung by Sybil--a big UK success, but I don't think it was even released in the US... Odd (though at least they're playing real music, unlike nowadays when they can't afford it).

The more clips of Chip as Curtis, the more i like him in the role. Far from brilliant, these clips from when Millee Taggert and Tom King (I believe) were HW are much more appealing than the corporate mess the show seemed to be under Ralph Ellis in the previous regime--not sure who was EP then, since it changed so much--if it was Joseph Stuart or Mary Ellis-Bunim. I always found it odd that after *so* many recasts, the original Curtis returned in the last year (or just before--as Dante's "pet").

Minnie was Egypt's older black lady pal.

Ah OK, I've seen her in the earlier clips then. I know(and love) Opal... I mean Egypt mainly from her 90s return.

I've heard Agnes was often involved in story at Loving--especially around 88-89 (when people felt AMC was starting to be neglected leading to its overhaul with Behr), and I admit I find it fascinating and oddly appealing how so many of her ideas seemed to be a desire to go back to older AMC--while many would see that as a flaw.

Thanks. I didn't know who was singing that.

Chip seems a little rough around the edges for Curtis but there's a lot of good in there, especially when he's with Ava. Over time I think he has also developed a sweet chemistry with Rena Sofer. I never even knew Rocky was with Curtis until recently.

Minnie and Egypt were both very popular with viewers. There weren't a lot of characters like Minnie on most soaps, unless they were stuck in servant roles.

Thanks. I didn't know who was singing that.

Chip seems a little rough around the edges for Curtis but there's a lot of good in there, especially when he's with Ava. Over time I think he has also developed a sweet chemistry with Rena Sofer. I never even knew Rocky was with Curtis until recently.

Oh, I agree--especially for an Alden. But he has a charm that comes off well on camera.

Minnie and Egypt were both very popular with viewers. There weren't a lot of characters like Minnie on most soaps, unless they were stuck in servant roles.

Yeah--I was gonna ask if it was one of Loving's first black roles.

Edited January 11, 201312 yr by EricMontreal22

I guess the first was Det. Hindman, and the soldier who haunted Mike Donovan...not sure.

She's the first contract black role that I remember, though someone may be escaping my memory at the moment. Not until Angie and Frankie (and Pat) showed up do I remember more, i.e., Charles, Jacob, Lorraine, the model Frankie dated...

I guess the first was Det. Hindman, and the soldier who haunted Mike Donovan...not sure.

Right--I guess I meant more of a character, though I've only seen one clip of him but I guess the soldier stuck around for a while--in terms of hauntings...

She's the first contract black role that I remember, though someone may be escaping my memory at the moment. Not until Angie and Frankie (and Pat) showed up do I remember more, i.e., Charles, Jacob, Lorraine, the model Frankie dated...

Agnes did want Carla and Saddie to move from OLTL when they were let go, to Loving (so I guess by 1986 or so)--I understand why Hall felt it beneath her, but maybe this was some recognition that the show needed more diversity.

I had never heard that Ms. Nixon wanted both Lillian Hayman and Ellen Holly on the show. I did know that the role of Minnie was offered to Lillian Hayman, but she had declined.

Resembling All My Children was not a flaw.

I, too, thought that it was odd that the role of Curtis kept being recast and that the original Curtis returned to the show later.

I liked the show a lot when Ralph Ellis was writing it. I especially enjoyed Luke Perry. I did think that the role that Matthew Cowles (Eban Japes) was too similar to Billy Clyde Tuggle - or, at least, his interpretation of the role.

No offense to Miss Hayman, but I'm glad that this actress got the chance to play Minnie. She and Egypt and their relationship really stood out (at least to me as a kid while my mother watched), they were the kind of characters who deserved more recognition that just never was going to happen being on Loving.

One of the few Loving covers I've seen, one of the very few that didn't just have Trucker/Trisha.

I had never heard that Ms. Nixon wanted both Lillian Hayman and Ellen Holly on the show. I did know that the role of Minnie was offered to Lillian Hayman, but she had declined.

Resembling All My Children was not a flaw.

No, but in the age when soaps were all getting bigger and bigger (richer people, etc) it may have not ben what the market wanted.

I believe Ellen Holly's memoirs mentions the Loving thing. Anyway, she saw it as a bad thing (going to such a low rated show).